1. Field
The present disclosure generally relates to systems for tracking non-conformances in manufactured objects, and deals more particularly with a system for mapping and visualizing areas on the object containing multiple non-conformances.
2. Background
In production environments, manufactured products may be produced along a line of stations or shops where individualized manufacturing or assembly operations are performed. During these operations, non-conformances may occur in the object for any of a number of reasons. In some cases, non-conformances can be corrected, or future non-conformances can be avoided by tracking the non-conformances and modifying production processes and/or equipment accordingly.
For example, during the production of commercial aircraft, aircraft assemblies are moved from shop-to-shop on a factory floor and assembled according to a predetermined installation plan. Individual non-conformances may be captured and recorded by personnel at each shop, so that personnel in subsequent shops are made generally aware of existing non-conformances, and may take steps to correct them. Currently, shop floor personnel manually record individual non-conformances using non-standard text formatting and/or spreadsheets in which the general location of non-conformances are noted. However, this method is not integrated with other data sources such as part drawings, specifications, etc. and does not record the exact location of the defect in terms of absolute X,Y,Z coordinates that allow a non-conformance to be readily located. Consequently, in some cases, repair work to correct non-conformances is unintentionally covered up, in turn resulting in the need for substantial rework, and associated repair costs. Moreover, the current method does not permit identification of large areas containing multiple non-conformances that require rework.